I’m a bit late with my post this week.. I haven’t really been sure what to write about, and I’ve been unwell so haven’t actually done a whole lot with myself either. I did go out this morning tho to a friends house to be part of filming a mini documentary for First Light Widows Association – a support group and charity that is really close to my heart.

The video is going to be used to raise awareness and money for the organisation so that they can continue to do the fabulous work that they do to support young widowed people in Australia. I have spoken before about the camp/conferences that I have been to and how helpful they have been for me, and of the new friends that I have made through the group. They also have amazing support for newly widowed people and do monthly coffee catch ups to help people connect.

Each of us is on our own journey with grief. It is incredibly personal and individual, but going to First Light events has been super helpful to me. The people in the group have helped me to feel accepted – I am not alone with what I am going through, and my grief has been validated in ways that I have not had in my ‘regular’ world – and that is not meant in anyway to be critical of the amazing people in my world.

I was one of the first people in my social group to become widowed. I absolutely felt like i was the odd one out and that I was navigating this grief stuff entirely on my own until I joined First Light. I am now part of a surprisingly big group of ‘young’ widows and widowers who have a much better understanding of what I am going through because they are going through the same things. There is always someone available to talk with about pretty much anything. There are people who are much further along in their journey who are super encouraging about what comes next and how that feels. There are people at a similar stage to me and we have a whole lot in common with how we’re feeling and what we are doing, like changing friendships or family relationships, dating etc; and then there are the new people and it feels really good to be there for them and offer support to them with their process.

I’m incredibly grateful that I foundFirst Light, I’m honestly not sure how I would be now 3years and 3months after losing Claytie, without the support I have received. I’m also really proud to have been asked to be part of this documentary and am looking forward to seeing it when it is done. The other thing I am starting to look forward to (with some nerves thrown in) is possibly being a co-presenter with one of my new friends at next years camp – watch this space!